Windsor Business December Issue 2023

6 HE SAID/SHE SAID: The news and views of area executives on pertinent business issues of the day.

16 CORPORATISM: Jim Blasingame says motivating employees to be successful is good business and the right thing to do.

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DECEMBER 2023

11/16/2023 12:11:40 PM

W I N D S O R ’ S F O R E M O S T B U S I N E S S N E W S P U B L I C AT I O N

INSIDE TRACK

PHOTO BY JOE SYMCHYSHYN SYMCHYSHYN PHOTOGRAPHIC

Steven Hearn, left, and his brother Don Hearn Jr. at the site of the former Nemak plant their company just purchased. By Ron Stang

<<

2

AT A GLANCE A look at the main concerns of WindsorEssex County residents on living in the area.

10 PRIME HOME A look at recent residential property sales in the city of Windsor.

2

CROSSWORD Take a coffee break from work and challenge yourself with our crossword.

12 BUILDING PERMITS A compilation of construction activity in the Windsor and area market.

3

ESSEX ECONOMICS A series of guest columns by business executives on various trends in the region.

14 WORLD OF WORK A career advice column by two workplace consultants and career coaches.

8

PRIME PROPERTY A look at recent commercial property transfers in the city of Windsor.

15 START UPS Newly incorporated firms launched in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.

L

ocal businessman Don Hearn has bought the dormant former Mexican-owned Nemak industrial plant in the city’s west end. The once state-of-the-art engine block cast manufacturing building, dating from the early 1990s and once owned by Ford, closed in 2019 due to high manufacturing costs.

Hearn Industrial Services Inc. has a series of warehousing and light assembly, engineering and testing facilities in Canada and the U.S., with its main facility located on Seminole Road in the old Dominion Forge factory.

“One of the driving forces was, we were actually looking to do a large warehouse development here in the Windsor area for some new projects we have coming with Stellantis and Ford,” said Don Hearn Jr. Hearn said the company actually looked at building a warehouse from Continued on page 5

AT A GLANCE A SURVEY OF RESIDENTS IN WINDSOR-ESSEX SHARE THEIR MAIN CONCERNS OF LOCAL ISSUES:

JUST THE FACTS:

1.

How do you feel about the overall cost of living in Windsor-Essex County?

• A recent survey of adults living in Windsor-Essex County found more than six in 10 of them are content with their quality of life.

There was no discernible difference between those residing in Windsor, or in the smaller towns of Essex County.

• Beneath this general content lies a major concern: housing affordability. A significant 66% of residents describe the housing scenario either “Poor” or “Terrible.” A mere 16% of non-owners are optimistic about securing a home in their chosen community.

• The main reasons are skyrocketing housing prices (39%) and the difficulty of saving for down payments (26%).

• A strong 38% of respondents urge the focus to shift toward constructing more “missing middle” homes (row, townhome, duplex, triplex and fourplex homes) and limiting single-family homes. A considerable 27% feel assisting first-time homebuyers should be a priority, as well as reducing development charges and expediting approvals.

• While housing remains a prime concern, there are others. The overall cost of living troubles 50% of the residents, as well as the cost of living (50%), and healthcare (33%).

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

Source: Abacus Data for Windsor-Essex Association of Realtors, October 2023.

ACROSS: 1 Sell 5 Boys and men 10 Bagpipes player 14 Bewildered 15 Disconcert 16 The item here 17 “Elephant Boy” star 18 Handbag logo 19 Place for skating 20 Attendance 22 Speckles 24 Mao – -Tung 25 Ancient colonnade 26 Gray and hard 29 Gridders, often 33 Emerson’s middle name 34 Valhalla host 36 Tool set 37 Sorbet 38 Fetch 39 NW state 40 Brief engagement 41 S&L conveniences 42 Mushrooms, in botany 44 Fashionable 47 Black-and-white snack 49 – – matter of fact 50 Flotsam and – 53 Trails 58 Sheriff Taylor’s kid 59 Rousseau novel

61 With, to monsieur 62 Lascivious look 63 More accommodating 64 Coolidge or Hayworth 65 Nugent and Danson 66 Wrist-radio wearer 67 Check manuscripts DOWN: 1 Far-flung 2 Hairy twin 3 Omaha’s st.

4 Disheartened 5 Tequila cactus 6 Just touch 7 Insect resins 8 Computer key 9 Changing gears 10 Lightning flash 11 Snazzy 12 Sty noise 13 Reproving clucks 21 Norwegian port

23 – cit. (footnote abbr.)

25 Scrapes, as a knee 26 Drinks heartily 27 Not spelled out 28 Melancholy poem 30 Scraping by 31 Narrow crest 32 Priggish 34 “Right” prefix 35 Gloomy 38 Cellar 42 Mackerel or bass 43 In the dark 45 Bad debts 46 Novelist – Levin 47 Think 50 Sudden impact 51 Fencer’s weapon 52 Even 53 Type size 54 Sir – Guinness 55 Hungry for more 56 Himalayan legend 57 Skedaddle 60 Cosmonaut’s station

November 2023 solution

Email info@ windsorbusiness.net for this issue’s crossword answers

CARTOON

THE EDITOR’S DESK NADIA H. SHOUSHER

CARTOON BY PAUL MARCH

You can run but you can’t hide

I

NOW THAT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS SLOWING DOWN, WE FEEL WE NEED A REALTOR LIKE YOU ON THE TEAM.

BUSINESS BOOST “What exactly do I mean by The Power to Predict? Primarily, I believe that Predictive Business does two things.

“First, it helps you seize opportunities as they are unfolding. Perhaps you’ve said to yourself, ‘I know what’s about to happen.’ With Predictive Business, you can be much more definitive. Second, it allows you to anticipate adverse conditions so that seemingly small and unrelated events do not become the precursors to disaster.

“It’s extremely rare that major events suddenly happen with no warning signs, small events or out-of-tolerance situations. Correlating those items will allow you to take preemptive action. “….I should say something about what Predictive Business isn’t. It is emphatically not about ditching past investments, nor is it about ripping out the old and replacing with something new. It will take an investment in human resources and technology. But the rewards and the upside potential are huge. When I talk to company leaders about Predictive Business, I often see the ‘light bulb effect.’ They recognize the potential of this approach and see it as a progression of real-time business practices. “…I once heard a CEO who exhorted his management team in the following terms: ‘I want you to come up with 10 ideas a week. I don’t care that nine-and-a-half of them are crazy. We’ll make fortunes for the company out of the half an idea that works.’ Those are the words of someone who is fostering innovation, imagination and risk-taking.”

Vivek Ranadive in The Power to Predict: How Real-Time Businesses Anticipate Customer Needs, Create Opportunities and Beat the Competition, McGraw-Hill.

W I N D S O R ’ S F O R E M O S T B U S I N E S S N E W S P U B L I C AT I O N

VOLUME 29, ISSUE 8 • DECEMBER 2023 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nadia H. Shousher

ART DIRECTOR

David Cowx

CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Blasingame, Dale Dauten, Rodney L. Denis, Paul March, Devan Mighton, J.T. O’Donnell, Ron Stang, Joe Symchyshyn

Windsor Business is published monthly by The Page Publishing Corp. and is distributed through Canada Post to every business address in Windsor and Essex County and Chatham-Kent. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. Copyright The Page Publishing Corp., 2023.

THE PAGE PUBLISHING CORP. 552 PITT STREET WEST, SUITE 101 WINDSOR, ONTARIO N9A 5M2 TEL: (519) 255-9775 info@windsorbusiness.net • www.windsorbusiness.net

t seems near every monthly deadline, there is some sort of small catastrophe. The Internet server fails, our massive printer dies, or some other such issue makes the smooth progression of labor come to a screeching halt. For lives in which deadlines are sacrosanct, throwing a kink in the chain is trouble.

Calls to whichever supplier are met with long waits on hold (with the most atrocious “music” as accompaniment) and then, if there’s a response at all, it’s my all time favorite: it’s-not-our-fault-but-sorry-about-your-luck.

It got me thinking about how many times I am subjected to some version of this nonsense in the course of daily life. So, I flipped back a few months in my daytimer – where I keep copious notes on things such as phone calls made and not returned, goods purchased but not functioning, and refunds owed but not remitted – and it occurred to me: my entire life is unfinished!

I am still waiting for a replacement of the handle for my fairly new dryer (made in China, of plastic.

And it broke into a dozen pieces within a few months. Shocking, yes?), a receipt for an invoice paid, and two double billings yet to be credited to my account. And that’s as far back as I got; I was too discouraged to go on.

It brought to mind a long-ago situation, in which I saved up for and bought an expensive espresso machine. Within two weeks it stopped working. Two weeks! For the amount I spent, I could’ve traveled to Italy and enjoyed my espresso at a nice sidewalk café …

The machine was made at the Canadian plant of a well-known European company. It’s been years, but I have yet to hear from anyone about the problem. I sent at least 20 Emails to both the Canadian and European headquarters, left dozens of voice messages, and posted on its Facebook page. Silence. In retrospect, I should’ve driven to Mississauga and thrown the defective but expensive machine through the company’s plate glass windows. Maybe that would’ve gotten someone’s attention.

Question: do those people who ignore legitimate complaints by their customers actually believe the problem will just go away? I want to know how the suppliers of life’s little amenities could become so blasé about providing real service. Is it because society now values the disposable over the durable, it’s easier to sweep issues under the carpet? Are longevity and the loyalty of customers no longer the goals of business? But why would it matter, when there are dozens of other suckers waiting to replace them?

Business owners and their customer “service” people may yip yap and brag all over social media but, it comes down to one irrefutable truth: that sucker waiting endlessly on hold.

Nadia H. Shousher is Editor-in-Chief of Windsor Business, a division of The Page Publishing Corp.

ESSEX ECONOMICS DAN ADAMS

The Commodity Death Spiral is real

O

nce upon a time, your company’s founder was laser-focused on delivering superior, differentiated value to customers. But as the years passed and the business grew, that focus drifted. Leaders got caught up in other priorities, like tweaking productivity or acquiring other businesses.

If you allow this to continue, you’re left with me-too products. Customers start noticing your products are interchangeable with your competitors’. They demand lower prices, and you must comply. You have to cut your R&D budget to keep profits up. Now, you’re in the Commodity Death Spiral and you’re not sure how to reverse it.

If you aren’t constantly working to create new products that deliver more customer value you’re your competitors, you’re eventually forced to compete on price. And that way lies mediocrity, irrelevance or even nonexistence. If you want to grow and thrive long-term, you’ve got to direct the lion’s share of your resources to marketfacing innovation. Here is why it’s so vital to long-term success: #1: This is what exceptional companies do. Exceptional companies followed three rules: “better before cheaper,” “revenue before cost” (it’s better to increase revenue than cut costs), and “there are no other rules.” Builders focus on innovating for their customers (better before cheaper) so they can grow faster (revenue before cost). #2: We’re now in the Innovation Wave. Recent history brought us three waves: the Quality Wave, started in the 1950s (associated with Toyota), the Productivity Wave (which grew out of Toyota’s success and featured lean product design) and the Innovation Wave, the stage we’re in now. The key is to plan forward.

Many generals have been guilty of planning for the previous war. Quality and productivity improvements are fine, but they were the last century’s war. Today’s battleground is the Innovation Wave, and the key to winning is superior market-facing innovation. #3: Nothing else drives profitable, sustainable growth. It’s a simple truth: Senior leaders have many initiatives to choose from, but only market-facing innovation can lead to profitable, sustainable growth.

Market-facing innovation shouldn’t be an initiative you turn on and off. Understanding and meeting market needs should define your company. If you suspect your company is in the Commodity Death Spiral, you can turn it around. Breathe new life and pour more funding into your market-facing innovation efforts. This is non-negotiable if you’re to differentiate your offerings, and stop competing on price. And start thinking long-term, rather than trying to placate myopic investors.

Dan Adams is the founder of The AIM Institute and author of the books Business Builders and New Product Blueprinting. Visit https://theaiminstitute.com/.

DECEMBER 2023

3

AGRI-BUSINESS

AUTOMOTIVE

BY RON STANG

BY RON STANG

Local cannabis entrepreneur moves Area auto dealerships on to agri-business industry make deals and moves

A

Leamington vegetable storage warehouse has been sold by Amco Storage to area entrepreneur Gregg Battersby. The sale of the almost four-acre property took place in October for just over $4 million.

Battersby is best known for founding Peak Processing Solutions, an Oldcastle firm which inked contracts with a top American brewer and other companies for infusing beverages with cannabis.

Battersby sold that business, still in operation, and has moved on to a partnership making produce containers for the agri-business industry. The buildings at 25 Ivan Street are currently occupied

by Growers First.

Battersby bought the campus from Amco Storage Inc., also known as Amco Produce, another vegetable greenhouse and warehousing firm. No one from Amco

responded to requests for comment. The three buildings each comprise about 25,000 square feet, or 77,000 square feet in total.

Peak’s highest profile relationship is with the Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams beer. “They’re the exclusive manufacturer and distributor for

Boston Beer in Canada for cannabis-infused products,” Battersby said. Peak’s product lines include other beverages such as seltzers.

“I’ve more or less completely exited the cannabis space,” he said. He and a partner are “working on a new product” for produce packaging, such as clamshells and bowls. The business is called Tychon Packaging. The firm already sells child-resistant containers for the cannabis industry.

The partners outsource manufacturing and are concentrating on distribution. Leamington is an ideal market since there is a “concentration of produce companies” in the area, Battersby said.

Tychon has existed for several years “and I knew the owner pretty well,” Battersby said. That individual had asked him to join him while he was finishing his WB tenure at Peak.

A

utoCanada, an Edmonton-based auto retailer, has bought two side-byside properties in east Windsor.

One at 11293 Tecumseh Road East was previously the location of Z’s Auto Centre Inc.; the owner confirmed he is moving his business to Maidstone to make way for the buyer.

The other property, at 11145 Tecumseh Road East, is also the address of a Goodwill Industries store.

It’s confusing, as Goodwill says their property has not been purchased and they will be carrying on business as usual. The store itself is relatively new, and a sizable Goodwill operation.

Scott Louch, Goodwill’s COO for the Ontario Great Lakes region, was puzzled by the address on a property sales record.

“I can assure you we did not sell our property,” he said.

However, Goodwill shares the same access from Tecumseh Road with the neighboring property that has been sold, also listed as 11145 and which “has a bunch of sheds on it,” Louch said.

The Goodwill store was built in 2017 and employs about 60.

Holden Rhodes, AutoCanada’s representative on the property sale, did not return requests from Windsor Business for comment.

The company currently has 65 locations and sells 25 vehicle brands.

Also in area auto dealership news, Tilbury Chrysler has purchased more than 14 acres of property from Tilbury Auto Sales & RV, for $4.5 million, in October.

Management from both dealerships declined or didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The properties are along the Tilbury Auto Mall on Mill Street WB West or County Road 42.

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4

WINDSOR BUSINESS

ACQUISITION

COVER

BY RON STANG

BY RON STANG

Essex County Locksmiths Hearn Industrial buys dormant purchased by London firm Nemak auto plant in west Windsor

A

London ON area-based company has purchased Essex County Locksmiths (ECL) with the aim of bringing some of its other services and products to the Windsor-Essex market.

Ventri Door Technologies, part of the Ardent group of companies of Aylmer ON, specializes in automatic and overhead door systems for commercial and industrial customers. Its services include doors, docks, gates and security systems.

Essex County Locksmiths specializes in residential and commercial hardware, such as locks, as well as handicapped accessible automatic doors, among other services.

Both firms did some of the same work, so there was a degree of compatibility.

“It was a way to have access to that market and those customers,” said regional manager Andrew Kilpatrick. But while ECL was doing automatic doors, it wasn’t handling commercial overhead doors and docks. “So, we’re able to leverage that customer base and say we have all these new products,” he said. ECL was doing residential garage doors as well, as does Ventri, but Ventri’s primary market is commercial.

Ventri did have some customers in Windsor, but didn’t have technicians here. “It was just one area we weren’t servicing to our liking, so we made an effort to correct that,” Kilpatrick said.

One of ECL’s two owners – Jeff Gates, the lead technician and son of the founder – is staying on as

branch manager.

“He’s one of the top locksmiths in the area,” Kilpatrick said. “The other previous owner was looking to sell, so it was just good timing.

We were able to meet their needs and ours at the same time.”

A growing market is handicapped-accessible doors, as every new building must be accessible.

“So, we do bathroom retrofits and front entrances,” he said.

Kilpatrick said there wasn’t a lot of competition in the commercial overhead door market. “When we were knocking on peoples’ doors, they were excited there is another option,” he said. “We’re hoping to bring the best of both worlds.”

Ardent has several building systems companies across southwestern Ontario, such as Steelway Building Systems (customized steel buildings), Zelus Material Handling (cranes), ExSteel (steel building components) and Glass Canada.

Ardent co-president Bryan White said the acquisition gives the firm “a platform to grow” locally.

Now, Ardent can supply “a more complete package (and) the businesses can work together.”

He said there is “a lot of opportunity in Windsor today, (and) we want to be part of that.”

White said essential to the company’s family-oriented philosophy is that it supports workers both in compensation, but also in professional and personal growth. “We think we’re a great culture and a great place to work, and we want to employ more Windsor people.” WB

Continued from page 1 scratch but, “We found the construction costs very out of reach.” The “simple math” showed it was a lot cheaper to buy the west end building and then modify it for its future purpose.

“We could convert this building to suit our needs at a much more reasonable price than new construction,” he said.

Hearn purchased the facility from Nemak for $21 million. No one at Nemak responded to requests for comment.

The company will be conducting light assembly work – putting together parts, not manufacturing – in the 100,000-square-foot space with an operational date set for February. Other uses will be for warehousing and supply chain activities.

A separate 350,000-squarefoot area will later become oper-

ational. “That’s a little bit of a longer term development,” Hearn said, adding it would likely be leased to a third party as Hearn wouldn’t require it for its needs.

“WE COULD CONVERT THIS BUILDING TO SUIT OUR NEEDS AT A MUCH MORE REASONABLE PRICE THAN NEW CONSTRUCTION.” Hearn said some parts of the facility – where there were old former casting furnaces – will have to be demolished, a process already begun since taking over the building this month. As well, “we have to reinvest in electrical, hydro, plumbing, sprinkler systems and the roof repairs,” necessitating a $6-million investment.

Hearn expects to hire 65 people for the February opening.

This isn’t the company’s biggest acquisition; the Dominion Forge plant was a whole city block long. “Size wise it’s bigger, but this in terms of today’s dollars and building properties would be the largest (facility) we’ll do,” he said.

Hearn said there was “a lot of” of other interest by potential buyers in the plant. “There were several interested parties from out of town and locally,” he said.

According to realtor Colliers, which listed the site – located on GN Booth Drive, off of Ojibway Parkway – the two buildings stretch over 42 acres, dating from 1990 and expanded in 2003. The larger building is roughly 420,000 square feet, which Hearn will subdivide. The second building is 40,000 square feet, and there are nine truck wells.

WB

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HE SAID/SHE SAID NEWS AND VIEWS FROM AREA EXECUTIVES: QUESTION: How much or little structure do you prefer to have in your work life? Why so?

“I prefer to have as much structure as possible, while maintaining enough flexibility to compensate for any day-to-day challenges that arise. This helps keep me organized and productive, and enhances teamwork across the board.”

“Having structure is difficult in this line of work because it’s seasonal, and depends a lot on the weather. That said, I like to structure my schedule, so as to minimize travel.”

“I like having a regular Monday-to-Friday schedule for routine, but I also love the freedom to work on different projects in a variety of environments. It fuels my creativity and helps me grow professionally.”

“I do not like too much structure, as I find that can be too rigid and limiting. You never know what challenge will come up in the day, and I like to remain flexible so I can respond effectively.”

“Everyone needs some structure. I need a medium amount, because it fosters organization which is key to succeeding in my role. Too much structure, you would probably focus on that rather than the work at hand.”

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CHRISTMAS! WE WISH ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON! We are truly humbled, grateful and amazed to have so much support from people all over Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Lambton, Middlesex and Elgin counties and beyond. We are truly blessed!

ALL THE BEST FOR A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! Rob and Yongli (Susan) Ghione, Proprietors Wilton’s Mini Mart • Richmond Convenience • Fleur de Tende Holdings Ltd. • Robert Ghione Holdings Ltd.

A special thank you to my wife, Yongli, a dedicated and hardworking partner in all of our companies. I am grateful for her continued love and support. Yongli’s work ethic is the reason for our success!

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PRIME PROPERTY THE FOLLOWING, PROVIDED BY REALTRACK.COM, REPRESENT SOME OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN THE WINDSOR AREA:

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 1086 Felix Ave. Selling Price: $850,000 Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: 14035798 Canada Inc.

SOLD

Address: 1590 Ouellette Ave. Selling Price: $1.4 million Vendor: Elevation Pty Management Inc. Purchaser: Four Point Capital Inc.

Address: 760 & 764 Chatham St. E. Selling Price: $1.7 million Vendor: Sila Investments Inc. Purchaser: Govas Enterprises Inc.

SOLD Address: 962 Martin Lane, LaSalle Selling Price: $950,000 Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: Deltech Auto Services Inc.

SOLD Address: 8699 McHugh St. Selling Price: $21.4 million Vendor: Farhi Holdings Corp.

Purchaser: 8600 McHugh Street Ltd.

SOLD

SOLD Address: 4600 GN Booth Dr. Selling Price: $21 million Vendor: Nemak of Canada Corp.

Purchaser: DBS-Hearn Inc.

Address: 2415 Division Rd. Selling Price: $1,838,850 Vendor: Chani & Dhot Holding Inc. Purchaser: 391568 Ontario Inc.

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

PRIME PROPERTY THE FOLLOWING, PROVIDED BY REALTRACK.COM, REPRESENT SOME OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN THE ESSEX & CHATHAM-KENT AREAS:

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 13831 Riverside Dr. E., Tecumseh Selling Price: $1.9 million Vendor: Dajisse Holdings Ltd. Purchaser: Lakeview Montessori School

Address: Lakeshore Rd 105, Lakeshore Selling Price: $1.2 million Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: Resolve Holdings Inc.

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 277 William St. S., Chatham-Kent Selling Price: $1.05 million Vendor: 14035615 Canada Inc. Purchaser: Honey Electric Holdings Ltd.

Address: 21754 Grove Rd., Chatham-Kent Selling Price: $1.471 million Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: Cook Bros Farms Inc.

CHATHAM-KENT

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SOLD Address: 2065 Solar Cr., Tecumseh Selling Price: $4.6 million Vendor: 2613035 Ontario Ltd. Purchaser: 1000691947 Ontario Ltd.

335 CABANA RD. E.

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 426 Highway 77, Leamington Selling Price: $1.5 million Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: 2787389 Ontario Inc.

Address: 447 Bevel Line Rd., Leamington Selling Price: $2 million Vendor: Castle Gate Towers Inc. Purchaser: 1413506 Ontario Ltd.

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SOLD Address: 291 & 295 Erie St. S., Leamington Selling Price: $1.6 million Vendor: 2594425 Ontario Ltd. Purchaser: Brotto Investments Inc.

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FOR LEASE. INDUSTRIAL BUILDING LOCATED IN HEART OF OLDCASTLE. TOTAL OF 18,179 SF COMPLETE W/OFFICES, W/2 ADDITIONAL MEZZANINES WITHIN SHOP AREA (TOTAL 1,800 ADDITIONAL SF). CEILING HEIGHT UP TO 21’.

10-TON DEMAG CRANE W/CLEARANCE HEIGHT OF 17’.

FOR LEASE. TO BE BUILT IN OLDCASTLE. PERMIT IS READY, SO BUILD TIME WOULD BE APPROX 6 MONTHS. 13,340 SF SHOP + 2,600 SF OFFICE SPACE TOTALING 15,940 SF. CLEAR CEILING HEIGHT IS 30'. BUILDING WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AS "CRANE-READY."

SOLD FOR SALE. HIGHLY PROFITABLE AUTO SERVICE GARAGE, SITTING ON COMMERCIALLY ZONED CD2.1 LAND. SALE IS FOR ALL REAL ESTATE + BUSINESS. CALL DAN MCCULLOCH AT (519) 818-2700 FOR DETAILS.

15,560 SF BUILDING W/ PLENTY OF ON-SITE PARKING ON ALMOST 1 ACRE. CURRENTLY 5,000 SF VACANT OFFICE / RETAIL SPACE. THE AREA IS THE PERFECT BLEND OF HIP & HISTORIC, & IS ONE OF THE MOST DESIRED AREAS IN WINDSOR-ESSEX.

FOR SALE IN THE HEART OF OLDE RIVERSIDE. APPROX 6,750 SF, TENANTED BY TWO ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES. PARKING ON-SITE FOR 40 CARS. ATTRACTIVE, LOW MAINTENANCE BUILDING. CALL TAMMY WILLIAMS FOR INFO.

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445 PELISSIER ST.

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FOR SALE. LE GOYEAU OVERLOOKING THE DETROIT RIVER & SKYLINE. LARGE UNIT AT 1,150+ SF W/2 BEDS,1.5 BATHS. UNIQUE CD3.1 ZONING ALLOWS FOR BOTH COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL. MINUTES FROM THE COURTHOUSE, IDEAL FOR A LAW OFFICE. CLOSE FOR EASY CROSS-BORDER COMMUTE.

ESTABLISHED IN 1980, THE LUMBERJACK ON HOWARD & TECUMSEH RD HAS SUCCESSFULLY SERVED GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES IN WINDSOR-ESSEX FOR 43+ YEARS. OWNERS RETIRING, WILLING TO TRAIN NEW OWNERS. CALL TAMMY WILLIAMS FOR INFO.

FOR SALE. IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN WINDSOR, 3,000+ SF PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE W/ HIGH END FINISHES INCLUDING SEVERAL OFFICES & BOARDROOMS. ON-SITE PARKING FOR 3 CARS. PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET. CONTACT TAMMY WILLIAMS TO VIEW.

APPROX 5,495 SF UNIT LIGHT INDUSTRIAL/WAREHOUSE SPACE. NEW GRADE-LEVEL OVERHEAD DOOR. NICE & CLEAN, LOCATED W/EASY ACCESS TO E.C. ROW & HIGHWAY 401.

CONTACT TAMMY WILLIAMS.

DECEMBER 2023

9

PRIME HOME SALES THE FOLLOWING REPRESENT SOME RECENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES IN THE ESSEX COUNTY/CHATHAM-KENT AREA:

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 1226 Wigle Ave. Property Size: 40’ x 108’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $1,571 Listed For: $349,900 Sold For: $340,000

Where: 251 Tuscarora St. Property Size: 37’ x 100’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $2,579 Listed For: $284,900 Sold For: $350,000

Where: 1529 Windermere Property Size: 35’ x n/a # Bedrooms: 2 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $1,939 Listed For: $229,000 Sold For: $250,000

Where: 1598 Olive St. Property Size: 46’ x 101’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $2,599 Listed For: $384,999 Sold For: $465,750

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 2587 Girardot St. Property Size: 39’ x 100’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $1,532 Listed For: $350,000 Sold For: $401,000

Where: 2769 Sierra Dr. Property Size: 60’ x 106’ # Bedrooms: 4 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $3,607 Listed For: $449,900 Sold For: $455,000

Where: 3882 Howard Ave. Property Size: 75’ x 150’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $3,355 Listed For: $530,882 Sold For: $520,000

Where: 1115 Heathfield Property Size: n/a # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $1,842 Listed For: $389,900 Sold For: $365,000

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

PRIME HOME SALES THE FOLLOWING REPRESENT SOME RECENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES IN THE ESSEX COUNTY/CHATHAM-KENT AREA:

SOLD Where: 147 Crystal Lane, Harrow Size: 80’ x 94’ # Bedrooms: 4 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $2,500 Listed For: $529,900 Sold For: $505,000

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 300 Ferris Ave., Colchester Size: 171’ x 35’ # Bedrooms: 2 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $1,875 Listed For: $389,900 Sold For: $400,000

Where: 3 McLeod St., Tilbury Property Size: 63’ x 104’ # Bedrooms: 4 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $2,058 Listed For: $398,888 Sold For: $398,888

Where: 138 Willowmac Ave., Chatham-Kent Property Size: 45’ x 120’ # Bedrooms: 2 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $2,325 Listed For: $249,000 Sold For: $215,000

CHATHAM-KENT

• WHEATLEY

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 458 Linden Ct., Amherstburg Property Size: 60’ x 130’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $2,400 Listed For: $489,458 Sold For: $475,000

Where: 1921 Union Ave., Ruthven Property Size: 82’ x 165’ # Bedrooms: 4 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $3,472 Listed For: $585,000 Sold For: $550,000

Where: 1056 Point Pelee Dr., Leamington Property Size: 40’ x 110’ # Bedrooms: 1 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $3,800 Listed For: $299,900 Sold For: $345,000

Where: 7 Gladstone Ave., Leamington Property Size: 61’ x 124’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $4,763 Listed For: $419,900 Sold For: $460,000

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2895 Kew Drive, Windsor | 519-944-8111 | 1-800-298-0832 | martindalewindow.com

DECEMBER 2023

11

BUILDING PERMITS THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS RECENT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN ESSEX COUNTY AND CHATHAM-KENT: MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT COMMERCIAL: • Kaiser Construction is building an addition to a retail store on PIER RD. Value of construction: $256,000.

• The TDL Group Ltd. is doing renovations to a restaurant on Grand Ave. E. Value of construction: $400,000.

• The TDL Group Ltd. is doing renovations to a restaurant on Park Ave. E. Value of construction: $400,000.

• Agri-Urban Buildings Inc. is erecting a new agricultural building on Spence Line. Value of construction: $700,000.

•

• •

•

•

MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT RESIDENTIAL • • Individuals are building an addi-

tion to a residence on Lynnwood Ave. Value of construction: $300,000.

Individuals are building a new single-family home on Rose Beach Line. Value of construction: $800,000.

Gore Inc. is building a new rental unit on Keil Dr. S. Value of construction: $43,000.

Individuals are converting a single-family home to a multi-unit dwelling on Spencer Ave. Value of construction: $75,000.

Individuals are building a new single-family residence on Meadowview Rd. Value of construction: $248,000.

Maple City Homes Ltd. is building two single-family homes on Ironwood Trail. Values of construction: $400,000 each.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Charing Cross

•

• •

•

•

•

•

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

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Rd. Value of construction: $150,000 Canadian Tradesmen is doing renovations to a residence on Wall St. Value of construction: $170,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Talbot Trail.

Value of construction: $800,000.

Park Hill Custom Homes is building a new single-family home on Rosewood Cr. Value of construction: $600,000.

Maple City Homes Ltd. is building six single-family homes on Ironwood Trail. Values of construction: $400,000 each.

Multi Construction is erecting a single-family home on Cabot Trail. Value of construction: $400,000.

Sunbuilt Custom Homes Ltd. is building a new single-family home on Cherry Blossom Trail.

Value of construction: $500,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Communication Rd. Value of construction: $500,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on 1st Concession Line. Value of construction: $400,000.

Depencier Builders is building an addition to a single-family home on Water St. Value of construction: $975,000.

John J Vsetula Farms Ltd. is erecting a single-family home on Fairview Line. Value of construction: $700,000.

TOWN OF ESSEX RESIDENTIAL: • Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Papke Lane.

Value of construction: $1.44 million.

• 2740599 Ontario Inc. is building a single-family home on County Rd. 13. Value of construction: $885,000.

• Brady Homes is building a semidetached residence with an Accessory Dwelling Unit on Irwin. Value of construction: $922,000.

• BK Cornerstone Design is building four semi-detached units on Jewel St. Values of construction: $681,000 each.

•

•

• •

TOWN OF LASALLE COMMERCIAL: • Timberland General Contractors are erecting a commercial building with five residential apartments on Sprucewood Ave. Value of construction: $4 million.

• Urban Selections Inc. is doing tenant renovations on Malden Rd. Value of construction: $15,000.

TOWN OF LASALLE RESIDENTIAL: • Individuals are doing an addition to a residence on Disputed Rd. Value of construction: $560,918.83.

• Duri Construction Ltd. is building a single-family home on Mayfair Ave. Value of construction: $562,014.10.

• Individuals are constructing an additional residential unit on Outram Dr. Value of construction: $278,400.

• Individuals are building an addition to a single-family home on

•

Cervi Blvd. Value of construction: $150,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Legacy Grove Dr. Value of construction: $1.7 million.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Huron Church Line. Value of construction: $1,770,892.39.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Miranda Crt. Value of construction: $866,235.

1000200839 Ontario Inc. and Sherman Homes are building a three-unit townhouse on Tullio Dr. Values of construction: $625,160.70, $620,586.30 and $632,979.10.

Clearstone Construction Corp. is building two units of a semidetached dwelling on Valerio Cr. Values of construction: $699,940 each.

TOWN OF KINGSVILLE COMMERCIAL: • Turner Fleischer Architects is renovating a commercial plaza on Main St. E. Value of construction: $350,000.

TOWN OF KINGSVILLE RESIDENTIAL: • Individuals are erecting a multiunit dwelling on Spruce St. N. Value of construction: $700,000.

• Nello Construction is erecting a multi-unit dwelling on Road 2 E. Value of construction: $1.25 million.

• Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Nottingham Ave. Value of construction: $240,000.

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THE WORLD OF WORK

BY JEANINE “J.T.” O’DONNELL AND DALE DAUTEN

“My boss blocked my promotion!”

Dear J.T. & Dale: My company is casual office attire, which I love.

It’s one of the reasons I was excited to work here. I’m a huge fan of baseball hats. I wear one every single day. Recently, my boss pulled me aside and said I should stop wearing the hat because it makes me look like a kid, and it’s going to hold me back from getting promoted. If it’s casual, why would wearing a hat matter? – J.J. Dale: There are bosses who just want you to conform, including looking like everyone else. Given a choice, such bosses would replace you with a robot. But that doesn’t sound like the case here. You have a boss who’s thinking about your promotion. Yay! Perhaps he’s even discussed promoting you with upper management and gotten pushback, hearing that you don’t seem ready, which is often code for not sounding or looking like those at the next level. Either way, you can’t ignore a request like this.

J.T.: I think your boss is trying to explain to you the age-old phrase “people hear what they see.” Our image says a lot about us – it conveys how we view the world and our values. I think what your boss is trying to tell you is the hat makes you look less serious. And if you want a more serious job, you might want to ditch it. Earning respect and trust from people also means thinking about how they see you.

And while you certainly don’t have to change what you’re wearing, you might want to think about what you need to do to elevate the trust and respect, so the hat doesn’t matter!

Dear J.T. & Dale: I started a job eight months ago, along with three other people. We all have the same job title and same department.

Recently, an opportunity for promotion came available and we were all up for it. I was shocked when the person who got it is the one who does the least work. She’s really good at representing herself

and talking about what she’s done, but the truth is she doesn’t do as much as the rest of us. Do you think it would be inappropriate to go to my boss and let them know they picked the wrong person? — Morgan J.T.: Do not go to your boss and say this. Your opportunity to prove yourself was during the time they were considering the promotion.

WB Say something now, and it’s likely your boss will tell your co-worker and it’ll ruin the relationship between you two. Plus, it will look like sour grapes.

Dale: Agreed. Nothing good can come from criticizing the decision or by trying to undermine your new leader. Rather, it’s time to take a look at management’s promotion decision and see what you can learn.

J.T.: This might be hard to hear, but it sounds like your co-worker did a better job of marketing herself. You

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need to stop thinking of yourself as an employee and think of yourself as a business of one. And a good business knows how to market its strengths: It’s not bragging; it’s documenting your value. My advice is to take a moment to inventory your skills and start doing a better job of sharing your wins with your bosses. Besides, if she really can’t handle the job, they’ll figure it out fast enough.

Dale: Think back to your recentlypromoted co-worker’s relationship with management. You say she’s good at representing herself; make a list of how she accomplished that.

Instead of resenting her, learn from her. And, bigger picture, the lesson here is that being a star employee is

determined by management’s yardstick, not yours. You need to be an expert on yardsticks. Indeed, you might help define productivity in your department by finding ways to quantify your work. Even so, know improving your perceived performance will likely make your recently promoted co-worker look good, so be prepared to think of yourself as her ally because it would be disastrous to make her an enemy.

WB Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a career coach and the founder of workitdaily.com. Dale Dauten is the founder of The Innovators’ Lab, a business consultant and author.

To send questions, visit questions to jtanddale.com.

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START UPS

BY RON STANG

THE FOLLOWING WINDSOR, ESSEX COUNTY AND CHATHAM-KENT COMPANIES WERE RECENTLY ISSUED CERTIFICATES OF INCORPORATION UNDER ONTARIO’S BUSINESS CORPORATIONS ACT: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1496 County Road 22 Holdings Inc. A360A Business Corp Advanced Diagnostic Centre Inc. Agency AI Media Inc. All Ontario Delivery (Essex) Inc. Alpha Printing Solutions Inc. AM Associates Professional Corp.

Anchor Leather Design Inc. ANM Eatery Inc. Artistree-Shop Inc. Automap Car Services Inc. Bayou County Entertainment Inc. Beachhead Media Inc. Beauty Xpressions Inc. Big Dog Vapory Ltd. BKT Roof Cleaning & Construction Inc. Boys & Girls Club Of Chatham-Kent Inc. Brouwer Capital Inc. Cangro Agrifoods Inc. Car-Vanni Construction Inc. Cloudmatic Solutions Inc. Donghan Construction Inc. Dynamic Concrete Solutions Ltd. Dynamic Textures Design & Construction Inc. Elevated Engineering & Construction Inc. Elevated Greenhouse Solutions Inc. Elite Bookkeeping Windsor Inc. Enutrition Network Corp.

Fairfaree Contracting Inc. First Class Group Inc. Griff Builds Ltd.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GSTM Business Management & Consulting Corp.

Hadchiti Construction Inc. Hanz' Custom Shop Inc. Healthfirst Pharmacy South Windsor Inc. Hill Capital Corp.

Hip Distilleries Ltd. Home Recovery Construction Inc. Ienna Business Consulting Corp.

Iiriis Media Ltd. ILM Institute of LaSalle Incitti Capital Inc. Innovation Contractors Ltd. JHR 01 Construction Inc. Lachance Drywall & Construction Inc. Lakeshore Car Rental & Detailing Inc. LaSalle Veterinary Services Inc. Leading Electric Inc. LHO Enterprises (Wheatley) Inc. Limitless Electric Inc. LSS Community Supports Mac81 Contracting Inc. MCam Construction Inc. Northshore Community Church Optimist Auto Inc. Peritus Tax & Accounting Inc. Pho Chatham Asian Cuisine Inc. Point Strategique Business Multi-Services Corp.

Raptors Express Inc. Rencomnetwork Inc. Royal Auto Care Inc. Rudra Chatham Inc.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Saltillo Catra Contracting Inc. Sequel Capital Corp.

Shenanigans Pub N' Eatery Inc. Song Family Foods Inc. South Detroit Med Inc. Southpoint Investment Company Inc. Speedy-One Express Inc. Studio Beatriz Escobar Inc. Sweet Heat Inc. Tari Automated Controls Inc. Teragram Bookkeeping Inc. The Picklebarn Inc. Thirty Something Boutique Inc. Timothy Capital Corp.

Uniarch Builders Inc. Ustaad G Auto Sales Inc. Verb Capital Ltd. Vicuna Media Inc Wheatley Mennonite Funeral Home Windsor Essex Window Cleaning Inc. Woodbridge Farm Books WB Inc.

Lighting store buys five acres behind location

A

vast expanse of three properties near the corner of Division and Walker roads has been sold, one of which was purchased by The Lighting Boutique, next door in its longtime south Windsor location.

The Lighting Boutique bought the five acres at 2415 Division Road for $1.83 million; two other five-acre pieces were also sold, according to local Re/Max realtor George Dragicevic.

The seller was Bramptonbased trucking company, BSD Linehaul Inc., which had a Windsor presence with a small building on-site and had “grand plans to build a massive (150,000-squarefoot) warehouse there, but it didn’t come to fruition,” Dragicevic said.

BSD did not respond to requests for comment.

Dragicevic said splitting the land into parcels made the land

”more saleable,” Dragicevic said, and of more interest to a greater number of potential buyers. “It just made sense to split it into smaller pieces. The intent is to develop it on a more commercial scale. We’re already speaking to some national retailers for the corner, so there is some interest.”

He added that the post-Covid era has “just really messed up expectations” on the part of retailers. “Everything has changed. It’s a very long and drawn-out process to get through approvals now.”

Lighting Boutique management did not respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, the recently dormant LaSalle Backhoe business on Smith Industrial Drive in Amherstburg, a business park off Howard Avenue, has been sold to Bolton ON-based Verdi Alliance Group of Companies, which specializes in WB concrete construction.

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CORPORATISM

BY JIM BLASINGAME

Intangible motivation produces tangible results

I

magine your best employee just resigned. How much will it cost – directly and indirectly – to find, hire, train and get a replacement to the productivity level of your exiting employee?

You already know the answer: maybe years. Not a scenario you want to contemplate, right?

There are many reasons why someone leaves a job, but decades of exit interview records show that compensation is seldom the main reason. Consequently, it’s an arti-

cle of faith that employees don’t leave companies, they leave people – usually a manager. That means such a disruptive circumstance is likely not only preventable, but the solution is essentially one of those intangibles that cost you little to nothing. Often, just some of your time and attention.

Motivation is one of those intangibles, and smart business owners know about its power.

They’ve experienced the direct link between motivating employ-

ees to be successful in their assignments and the success of their business.

You can become one of those smart managers, before a key employee turns in their keys and leaves because he or she couldn’t come up with a reason to be motivated to stay. Consider these six motivational best practices: Communication: Nothing is more fundamental to having loyal, productive and engaged employ-

ees than good communication. If you’re having problems keeping good employees, the low-hanging fruit for you may be to just start talking with – not to – your people. Face-to-face.

Professionalism: This is the aggregation of proper business, ethical and interpersonal behavior, and it’s a key pillar in the motivation structure. A professional environment fosters pride, performance and loyalty. Devo-tion to

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH & SEASONS GREETINGS! We look forward to continuing to serve our new and current clients in 2024

your own professionalism will help employees achieve and value theirs. And don’t forget to recognize their professional progress.

Management style: Check yours. Are you a leader or a driver? Drivers disregard and use others as a means to an end.

They’re identified by high employee turnover. Leaders value their people by encouraging them to be successful in their assignments. They’re identified by the double digits representing the average number of years their employees have been with them, and the multiple black digits to the left of the decimal on their bottom line.

Training: Employee training pays operational and motivational dividends. It fosters knowledge, which fosters self-confidence, which fosters leadership, which fosters loyalty, which fosters customer loyalty, which brings us right back to those black numbers just mentioned.

How’s that for a training straight line between motivation and return on investment?

Recognition: A robin noticed a turtle sitting on top of a fence post.

When the robin stopped to ask how he got there, the turtle replied, “Well, obviously not by myself.”

When talking about what your company has done, be sure to manage your pronouns with motivation in mind. Whenever “I” can be replaced with “we,” do it. This tiny two-letter pronoun is a powerful verbal high-five that resonates and sustains motivational energy throughout your organization.

Fun: Motivate your team by encouraging fun at work. In my long career, the people and organizations I’ve observed as being the most successful are those who take their work very seriously, but don’t take themselves seriously.

Having fun isn’t just a result of success; it’s also the cause of it.

Write this on a rock: Motivating employees to be successful in their assignments is both good business, and also the right thing to do. WB Jim Blasingame is the author of The 3rd Ingredient, the Journey of Analog Ethics into the World of Digital Fear and Greed. Visit smallbusinessadvocate.com.

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WINDSOR BUSINESS